Chapter 156: Obsessive Memory

"Why don't you choose the name yourself? Take your time. There's no rush. Even if it takes ten or a hundred years, that's fine. Lord Sixth's name wasn't decided until over a hundred years later," Wind Dragon said, glancing at the three avatars.

He continued, "Or, you could ask for their opinions. Each of them has inherited part of your obsession, and they're already developing their own thoughts. Ask them what they feel in their hearts."

"But once a name is chosen, it cannot be changed lightly. Like a posthumous title after death, it defines the uniqueness of each avatar."

Wind Dragon turned and slowly drifted toward the core area on the first floor. "Only cultivators with an honorific title can truly stand out across heaven and earth. Even if a cultivator's body is lost in the void during cultivation, as long as someone speaks their name again, they can return from the void."

Lu Chen gazed at the three avatars and sighed. "This is difficult. Let's just head up first, and think about it along the way."

Unable to decide in the moment, he led everyone toward the core area.

Listening to their conversation, Nantian Yijian blinked in surprise and followed behind, asking repeatedly, "Is it really that mysterious? I've never heard anything like this. My previous sect never mentioned it."

"It's true," Jun Laoye said, trailing behind Lu Chen. "I've also heard elders in my clan talk about it. A cultivator's name is tied to their karma and can influence their future development. That's why sects place such importance on identity tokens, and why honorific titles are chosen upon breaking through the Core Breakthrough Realm."

"Lu-gege, think carefully. Grandpa also said the name is truly important for a cultivator," Nantian Wan'er said, walking beside Lu Chen. "Anyway, Lord Wind Dragon said there's no rush. If we give it some thought, we'll come up with something."

"

Mm

, I understand," Lu Chen replied, leading them through to the core area of the first floor.

An hour later, they had passed the rows of bookshelves and reached the center, where the Taiji symbol lay. Along the way, Lu Chen considered his own traits and came up with several potential names, but naming the three avatars still eluded him.

"The passage to the second floor is just ahead. I'll need more time to think about the whole naming thing. If an avatar's name is really that important, it cannot be chosen lightly."

Holding the chief disciple identity token, Lu Chen stood at the center of the Taiji symbol and quietly recited the incantations, activating the teleportation formation embedded within the Spirit Gathering Formation.

At the center of the Taiji symbol, the teleportation formation slowly materialized, flickering with a ghostly blue glow. Lu Chen withdrew the chief disciple identity token and turned to the first avatar. "By the way, I forgot to ask. You've already developed a strong awareness. Do you have any thoughts about your name?"

"Me? Naming myself?" The avatar hesitated for a few seconds before answering. "I... actually have an idea. I want the name Lu Qing... but is that okay?"

"Lu Qing? Why that name?"

Lu Chen watched the avatar, and memories from the past slowly resurfaced. His late best friend, Little Pup, had originally been named Wang Qing.

At first, Little Pup was supposed to be called Wang Gou. The final decision, Wang Qing, was influenced by the legend of the Green Emperor in their village and a suggestion from Blindman Lu.[1]

Only about ten children had lived in the village. They either passed the trial to become sect disciples and left to cultivate, or stayed behind to support their families.

At the time, Lu Chen was too young to take part in the Heavenly Pool Baptism Test, so Blindman Lu had him working in the fields, leaving him with only a few friends.

When Little Pup was born, Blindman Lu wanted him to have a proper name to keep Lu Chen company. Inspired by the Green Emperor legend, he named him Wang Qing. Since Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang were busy hunting and weaving every day, Lu Chen indirectly became the one to raise him.

The massacre of Greenheaven Village was still fresh in Lu Chen's memory, especially the image of Aunt Wang pinned to the ground, clutching Little Pup as they both died together.

Thinking of this, a surge of emotion rose in Lu Chen. The Evil Self behind him stirred, subtly absorbing his violent energy and growing stronger.

Sensing the disturbance, Nantian Wan'er asked, "Lu-gege, what are you thinking? Does the name Lu Qing mean something to you?"

Lu Chen gradually calmed himself. "Nothing... just remembering some past events."

The Evil Self also settled down.

Lu Chen looked at the avatar. "Do you know where this name comes from? And who it once belonged to?"

"Of course," the avatar said gently, meeting his gaze. "It was our friend's name. We share the same set of memories, which means I also experienced those events back then. Besides, I'm your Self Corpse. Following the Three Corpses concept, I inherited your greatest obsession: the memories of Greenheaven Village before you began cultivating.

"I understand the meaning behind this name, but as the Original, you still need to walk a deeper path of cultivation. These attachments will only become a burden. Let me bear the weight of this name instead."

The avatar immediately dropped to one knee, eyes locked on Lu Chen as he raised his right palm toward him. "Original, I need this name. Please grant me the name Lu Qing, and together we will find Grandpa and avenge the villagers."

"You...

sigh...

" Lu Chen looked at the kneeling figure before him, extending a hand as a soft sigh escaped him. "I know these things have always been my own attachments, but you... Do you really want to shoulder them for me?"

"I do. These are my attachments as well."

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"If I share a part of this attachment with you, what will you do? You've only just begun to develop self-awareness. You need your own path."

Lu Chen's sighs echoed repeatedly through the first floor of the tower. The Good Self watched as Lu Chen trembled slightly, while parts of his traits slowly flowed into the Good Self. The circulation of energy intensified, and the fog in the Good Self's eyes gradually cleared.

Wind Dragon stared silently at Lu Chen and the avatar Lu Qing, holding his breath, not daring to intervene. He waited for the avatar's response and for Lu Chen's final decision.

Jun Laoye and Nantian Wan'er kept a close watch as well. Coming from noble clans, they understood just how critical this ritual of transferring attachments was for Lu Chen.

Nantian Yijian stood silently beside him, uncertain of the ritual's effects, but the severity in Wind Dragon's expression and Lu Chen's sighs made him instinctively remain quiet.

Ten minutes passed. The avatar remained kneeling, waiting for Lu Chen to bestow the name.

Seeing Lu Chen still hesitating, the avatar urged, "Original, I've made up my mind. Please begin. I believe I was born at this moment precisely to shoulder this attachment with you."

Lu Chen remained silent, caught in his inner conflict.

The avatar lifted his head, eyes glowing brighter with determination. "Come, Original. We are essentially the same. Even if you do not grant me the name Lu Qing, its karma has already affected me. Sooner or later, I will walk this path."

"But... you really shouldn't bear this." Lu Chen turned away, avoiding the avatar's gaze. "Even if you've been affected by their so-called karma, these painful memories are not yours to carry."

"Then don't blame me. From today onward, my name is Lu..." The avatar's voice was soft as he reached out toward Lu Chen, releasing a stream of spirit qi light that pierced Lu Chen's lower abdomen, completely restraining his power.

"How can you... No, you can't." Lu Chen had been lost in thought. By the time he realized the avatar's intentions, the avatar's palm was already gripping his shoulder, extracting Lu Chen's obsessive memories.

The extraction triggered a massive backlash, striking the avatar's chest and forcing a strand of his Blood Essence to spill. It was an automatic counterforce generated by heaven and earth when an avatar attacked its original.

"Outsiders don't know how to extract attachment memories, but as your avatar, this ability comes inherently," the avatar said, wiping blood from his lips as he recklessly absorbed the memories. "Original, you didn't expect me to be aggressive, did you? Even if you try to resist, your time is limited. Just agree already."

Alarmed by the avatar's sudden aggression, Nantian Wan'er and the others cried out to Lu Chen and rushed forward.

"Lu-gege..."

"Little Lu!"

The avatar glanced at them, then swung his left hand back, unleashing the Green Sovereign Divine Tree to form a barrier, blocking their path.

"

Sigh...

It's the same scene again," Wind Dragon exhaled slowly as he watched, yet did not intervene. "Why do these avatars always pull stunts like this? Lord First did it back then, and now this one does the same. The world truly works in wondrous ways!"

The Good Self stood aside, observing the chaos. His gaze grew sharper and clearer, and his features more defined and mature. "So this is what 'attachments' are... but which obsessive memories belong to me?"

1. In Chinese, green is written as 青 (Qing). ☜